Muskie School's Andrew Coburn discusses the business case for healthy employees in the Bangor Daily News

Posted May 18, 2012

"Employers typically view health and health care as costs to be managed and have been changing the structure of their health benefit programs to create incentives for employees to seek better value in the health care they consume. And many larger employers such as Maine Health, Bath Iron Works, Cianbro and others are encouraging employees to improve their health status with incentives and support for healthy lifestyles through work site health improvement initiatives.

There is increasing evidence that these changes and investments are helping employees prevent and manage chronic health problems, saving employers money by reducing increases in health care expenditures and improving worker productivity...."

Dr. Andrew Coburn is chair of the Master of Public Health program at the University of Southern Maine’s Muskie School of Public Service. He is a national expert in rural health and also directs the population health and health policy research program within the Muskie School’s Cutler Institute for Health and Social Policy.